Middle Rasen New Year's Day Duck Race
Next dates
Middle Rasen's New Year's Day Duck Race is back for 2027, with hundreds of yellow plastic ducks taking to the River Rase. It's a wonderfully quirky way to start the year, with families gathering to watch the ducks make their way downstream and see which one reaches the finish line first. Better still, the money raised supports local causes, including the upkeep of the village's defibrillators.
Middle Rasen New Year's Day Duck Race 2027
Date: Friday 1st January 2027
Time: 12 noon
Cost: £1 to enter a plastic duck.
Location: River Rase, Middle Rasen, Lincolnshire. Starting at Parry's Bridge on Low Church Road and finishing at the bridge on Church Street.
A river full of yellow ducks
It's not every day you see hundreds of plastic ducks racing down a village river, but that's exactly how Middle Rasen welcomes the New Year.
The race starts at noon, when the ducks are released into the River Rase at Parry's Bridge. From there, they travel downstream towards the finish line at Church Street.
You can enter a duck of your own and give it a name before it joins the race. Then it's a case of watching the river and hoping yours makes a speedy getaway.
To give you an idea of the scale, 1,957 ducks entered the 2026 race, raising £2,500.25 for local good causes. The winning duck crossed the finish line in just 11 minutes, while the last duck took 32 minutes.
Supporting the village
The Duck Race is organised by a local volunteer committee, with proceeds going towards community causes.
One of the projects supported is the maintenance of Middle Rasen's three village defibrillators, helping keep this important equipment available to residents.
If you'd like to enter a duck, support the event or find out more, visit the official Duck Race website.
